These pumpkin empanadas are full of earthy-sweet flavors that celebrate the taste of fall. These turnovers are stuffed with a sweet pumpkin filling and traditional fall spices such as cinnamon and clove. The ready-made empanadas can be frozen and reheated to enjoy later on. Make sure to make several to store!

Have you ever had a pumpkin empanada? If you haven't, you are seriously missing out!

I always pick up a few on my road trips between Mexico and the US. During those early morning trips to the border, somehow in my sleep-walking mode, I managed to fix a large pot of coffee and pour it into a thermos that will be our companion in our 2-hour trip. Something that will pair perfectly with the empanadas de calabaza sold by a young woman at the first toll booth.

You can call it somewhat a light breakfast- at least until we made it to the American side and drove over to the nearest Denny’s or “IHOP”. Yes, those were our breakfast places back in the day.

The memories of those pumpkin empanadas came to my mind last weekend! Seeing pumpkins everywhere, it made me feel a craving to bake some. Deciding to make them with a yeasty dough was a personal option since that is the way I remember the dough flavor to taste as they do it in other northern states, but you can use your own pastry or pie recipe.

Tip: Watch this youtube video where two nice ladies from the state of Sonora are baking the empanadas in the last stage where they place the empanadas under the broiler to give them that dark color.

Frequently Asked Questions About Pumpkin Empanadas

Before I share my empanada recipe, here are a few questions I’ve been asked about homemade pumpkin turnovers.

What are traditionally in empanadas?

Empanadas are what we call in the States "turnovers". A half-moon-shaped pastry with a filling either fried or baked.

In Mexico, we have a large variety of empanadas, mostly what makes them different is their filling or the dough used to make them. You can either have corn dough empanadas or like these wheat flour empanadas. Savory or sweet, actually, your imagination is the limit.

There are so many different types of empanadas out there. Even every country has its own version!

Argentina is best known for its empanadas to be made in pastry dough with ground beef, hard-boiled eggs, onions, and olives. Where Colombia makes its empanadas out of corn masa dough and is stuffed with shredded beef or chicken and potatoes.

Savory Empanadas can be stuffed with anything from meat and fish to potato, egg, cheese, or even pumpkin (like these). And, sweet empanadas usually have fruits jam fillings or a custard-like filling. It simply varies!

Do I need baking powder for turnovers?

No, do not use baking powder in these empanadas. This will make them too airy if you do. The yeast, milk, and sugar combine to give the dough the perfect amount of rising.

Are empanadas better fried or baked?

I personally like to bake my empanadas because it is less messy, healthier, and I can bake a huge batch all at once. You can certainly deep fry them if you want to. They will have a crispier and greasier texture if you fry them.

How do you freeze empanadas?

To freeze your empanadas, bake them completely and then let them cool. After they are cooled off, put them on a baking sheet in a single layer and place the baking sheet in the freezer. This will freeze the empanadas so that they don't stick together in the freezer bag.

After they are completely frozen, place them all in a freezer-safe resealable food storage bag. Keep the frozen empanadas in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Homemade Authentic Pumpkin Empanada Recipe

Here is a list of ingredients you will need to make this dish…

Pumpkin (cubed)
Piloncillo (or brown sugar)
Ground Cinnamon
Cinnamon Stick
Ground Anise Seeds
Ground Clove Spice
All-Purpose Flour
Eggs (Large size)
Warm Milk (whole)
Dry Yeast
Sugar
Melted Butter
Salt

Please note: For exact measurements of the ingredients listed above, scroll down to the recipe card located at the bottom of this post!

JUMP TO FULL INSTRUCTIONS

How To Make Empanadas de Calabaza: Step By Step Tutorial

To make things easier for you, I am going to break down the directions to this recipe into sections.

Cook The Pumpkin Filling

Place the pumpkin in a saucepan with the piloncillo, water, and the cinnamon stick.
Bring to a boil and cook for about 15-20 minutes until the pumpkin is tender and remove the cinnamon stick.

Note: At this time, the piloncillo should have been dissolved.

Add the ground cinnamon, ground anise, and clove. Keep cooking uncovered for about 20 or more minutes, stirring frequently until the mixture takes the texture of a jam. This can be done ahead of time and has to be room temperature before forming the empanadas.

Note: In case the pumpkin shell is too hard to remove since the ones sold in Mexico are really hard to remove, cook the pumpkin first with a ¼ cup of water until it is tender enough to scrape from the shell. Then, cook the pulp with the rest of the ingredients for the filling without the water.

Form The Dough

Place the yeast in a small bowl add the warm milk and let it proof for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl place the flour, eggs, melted and cool butter, sugar and salt. Add the yeast mixture and mix to form a soft a dough.
Place the dough in an oiled bowl turning to coat with the oil. Cover with plastic and let it rest for about 1 ½ hour in a warm place.
After that period of time, knead the dough again for 2-3 minutes and divide into 12 small softballs to start forming the empanadas. Cover with plastic.

Make The Empanadas

With the help of your rolling pin, roll out each of the dough balls on a lightly floured surface into circles of about 7 inches diameter.
Place about ¼ cup of filling in the center of each; fold the dough to enclose filling and form a half-moon. Seal edges by crimping with a fork.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Arrange empanadas on 2 greased baking sheets; brush with egg wash and dust with some sugar if you desire to do so. Let them rest for about 30-35 minutes until the dough rise.

Bake until light brown, 15 to 18 minutes; rotate pans between racks halfway through.

Update: I placed some of these empanadas in the freezer for later use. You know those times when you want to have some coffee and a sweet thing to go alone. Well, I put one in the toaster oven while my coffee was brewing and it tastes great. Really crispy with its soft filling. So now you know, they freeze well!

What To Serve With Pumpkin Empanadas

These pumpkin empanadas make a beautiful and filling main course, so all you need are some authentic Mexican side dishes to go along with it.

You can never go wrong with Mexican rice. It is versatile and goes with almost anything. Charro beans soup is another classic fall recipe that is perfect with pumpkin empanadas.

I personally love to serve it along with some cafe de olla!

More Authentic Mexican Recipes To Enjoy

If you enjoyed this recipe for empanadas de calabaza, take a look at some of these other authentic Mexican recipes:

I hope you make this pumpkin empanada recipe! If this recipe was of any help to you, come back to let me know your experience. Please leave us a comment done below and tell us all about it!

Buen Provecho!

Mely

Pumpkin Empanadas (Empanadas De Calabaza)